The present invention is related to the field of pantyhose, however, is a garment formed without the conventional knit-in panty. Although the sale and use of pantyhose has dominated the hosiery market for decades, there are many who consider them to be uncomfortable to wear, and even unattractive. Common problems are poor sizing, being uncomfortably hot in summer weather and, from a manufacturing standpoint, being expensive to manufacture in a wide range of sizes and/or styles.
Sizing problems occur because of the almost infinite variety of sizes and shapes of waists and hips, complicated by differing leg lengths. Consequently, in order to avoid having the pantyhose be prohibitively expensive, the predominant trend is to have the hose sized small, medium and large. Only the more expensive brands feature multiple sizes which accomplish a comfortable fit for more people.
With regard to production expense apart from sizing, the formation of the panty is an expensive cost. In most instances, the panty required at least one sewing operation joining the two hip portions (which are knit integrally to the leg) along a center seam.
Recent years have demonstrated a trend in the consumer market toward returning to the use of conventional stockings with separate means of support. There also have been self-supporting thigh-high and knee-high hosiery introduced to the marketplace and have demonstrated some success. However, the self-supporting aspects of these stockings--generally an elasticized yarn knit into the upper portion--has been less than satisfactory, resulting in the hosiery wrinkling and sagging.
The present invention overcomes many of these problems by eliminating the hip or panty portion of the pantyhose, while retaining the crotch portion. A relatively conventional knit-in or sewed-on crotchpiece normally utilized in pantyhose is attached to a portion of the upper periphery of each stocking, therefore actually forming a unitary garment. Alternatively, adjacent points on the top edge of each leg might be sewed together without any crotchpiece.
In use, the stockings are put on the body in the way pantyhose are, but before the conventional lingerie panty, not over the panty. When worn in this way, the crotch portion of the lingerie panty overlies the crotchpiece of the hosiery, helping to support the hosiery.
Each stocking further includes a peripheral or circumferential band around the upper portion thereof, which band includes at least one elasticized yarn, to help support the stocking. The circumferential band generally fits around the upper thing area and stretches snugly around the leg to support the stocking. In the preferred embodiment, the band is formed of a variety of yarns as is fully described below--at least one of the yarns being a spandex yarn.